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Man accused of killing Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter and his own grandmother found incompetent to stand trial

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Man accused of killing Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter and his own grandmother found incompetent to stand trial


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The suspect accused of killing Cleveland Police Officer Jamieson Ritter and his own grandmother was found incompetent to stand trial at this time.

Officer Jamieson Ritter was killed while serving a warrant on July 4, 2024(Cleveland Police Department via WOIO)

Delawnte Hardy, 24, has previously pleaded not guilty to all charges; including, three counts of aggravated murder, two counts of attempted aggravated murder, one count of murder, four counts of felonious assault, two counts of receiving stolen property and two counts of aggravated robbery.

Judge Ashley Kilbane ordered Hardy to undergo in-patient treatment at Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare Hospital in Columbus, OH to see if he can be restored to competency.

While at the hospital, Hardy must cooperate with all all prescribed medications. Doctors will provide the court with written updates.

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Delawnte Hardy arraigned on July 15, 2024
Delawnte Hardy arraigned on July 15, 2024(Bingel, Julia | (Source: WOIO))
Delawnte Hardy
Delawnte Hardy((Source: Cleveland police))

Cleveland police said Hardy fatally shot Officer Ritter on July 4 in the 1500 block of E. 80th St. and shot his grandmother, Beatrice Porter, on June 28 at her Garfield Heights home.

After the June 28 shooting, O’Malley said Hardy fled on his grandfather’s bicycle.

A family member called Garfield Heights police on June 29 after finding Porter and a warrant was issued for Hardy’s arrest.

Around 1 a.m. on July 4, Cleveland police responded to a 911 call stating Hardy was at a relative’s home near East 80th Street and Wade Park Avenue.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Cleveland police officer fatally shot in the city’s Hough neighborhood, suspect charged

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said officers arrived at the home and placed a spotlight on the residence.

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According to O’Malley, Officer Ritter instructed Hardy six times over a loudspeaker to exit the home out the front door with his hands up.

Hardy allegedly fled out the back door of the home on his grandfather’s bicycle with two swords and the gun he stole from his grandmother.

As Hardy rode away, several officers tried to arrest him and Hardy allegedly fired four shots.

The first shot struck Officer Ritter, the second shot nearly missed another officer, and the third shot was in the direction of two other officers, said O’Malley.

Officer Ritter was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

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Hardy was taken into custody at the scene.

Porter, 63, died from her injuries around noon on July 4.

Officer Ritter was honored at a memorial service in Cleveland on July 8 and laid to rest in his home state of New York on July 13.



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Cleveland, OH

Bomb threats against Northeast Ohio school districts continue for 2nd day

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Bomb threats against Northeast Ohio school districts continue for 2nd day


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – For the second day, Northeast Ohio school districts are receiving bomb threats.

On Friday morning, two schools in the Elyria City School District, the high school and Ely Elementary, received bomb threats.

Both schools are evacuating students, and emergency responders are on the way, according to a social media post.

All other district schools are in a lockout status as a precaution.

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The district asks that family members not come to the schools or call school offices at this time so emergency communication lines remain available.

Elyria Police said that the department is working with the district to ensure the safety and security of students and school personnel following the threats.

“We are aware that neighboring school districts experienced similar swatting-related incidents yesterday, and our investigative personnel are working diligently with our law enforcement partners to identify the source of these threats,” police said.

Five Northeast Ohio school districts received bomb threats on Thursday, including:

  • Alliance City School District
  • Amherst Exempted Village Schools
  • Cleveland Metropolitan School District
  • Lorain City School District
  • Shaker Heights School District
4 Northeast Ohio school districts threatened on Thursday(Google Maps)

Below are the details from each district and the protocols in place to protect students and staff.

ALLIANCE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Alliance Police Department confirmed there was an ’anonymous’ robo-voice style call that came into the high school saying there were ’20 pipe bombs’ outside of the school” before 12:30 p.m.

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Officers rushed to the high school and Rockhill Elementary School campuses “due to an alarm in which we were not getting a response from the school,” according to APD.

APD shared that the schools evacuated the students temporarily as officers conducted a sweep of the area.

“Nothing was found, thankfully,” APD Lt. Christopher McCord stated. “The school staff, and especially the students, did a great job of staying calm and making everyone’s jobs easier, smoother, and safer.”

“We will be looking into the source of the threats to hold those responsible accountable, if possible,” McCord added.

Alliance High School (Google Maps)
Alliance High School (Google Maps)(Alliance Police Department)

AMHERST EXEMPTED VILLAGE SCHOOLS

The Amherst Exempted Village School confirmed at 10:25 a.m. that Marion L. Steele High School and Walter G. Nord Middle School received a bomb threat.

AEVS said all district facilities were placed on a level 1 lockdown before the two schools were evacuated to a safe location under the supervision of administration and staff, according to district protocol.

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The Amherst police and fire departments teamed up with the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office to perform perimeter and building sweeps to determine if the threat was substantiated, said AEVS.

The perimeter sweeps of the two schools were complete by 11:34 a.m., and law enforcement then conducted the interior sweeps of the buildings, AEVS explained.

Amherst Junior High School and Powers Elementary School lifted their lockdowns at that time and resumed normal procedures, according to AEVS.

AEVS also confirmed at that time that all students and staff were accounted for and safe.

The Amherst Police Department completed its sweep of Steele High School and cleared the building of any threat by 11:51 a.m., AEVS updated.

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Students were dismissed for the day at that time, according to AEVS.

AEVS instructed student drivers to leave the campus, and students unable to immediately leave were to stay at the school until they could be picked up by a parent, guardian, or approved emergency contact.

The bus routes were running at the scheduled normal dismissal time for students who need a ride home, AEVS added.

Amherst Exempted Village Schools' Marion L. Steele High School (Google Maps)
Amherst Exempted Village Schools’ Marion L. Steele High School (Google Maps)(Google Maps)

APD completed its sweep of Nord School and cleared the building of any threat by 12:32 p.m., AEVS updated.

Nord School students were safely escorted back into the building, according to AEVS, after evacuating to the New Beginning Church as a safe location.

AEVS instructed parents, guardians, and approved emergency contacts who wanted to pick up their student to report to the school’s front entrance, where staff and APD officers would help.

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Classes, activities, and normal dismissal procedures resumed as scheduled for students who stayed at the school, AEVS shared, and bus dismissal also proceeded per usual.

“We appreciate the cooperation, patience, and support of our families and community throughout today’s situation,” AEVS stated.

According to AEVS Superintendent Mike Molnar, all evening activities at the school will continue as scheduled, and school will resume on Friday.

Molnar added that AEVS will have an increased police presence at schools on Thursday night and Friday.

Amherst Exempted Village Schools' Walter G. Nord School (Google Maps)
Amherst Exempted Village Schools’ Walter G. Nord School (Google Maps)(Google Maps)

CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District confirmed two threats were received on Thursday morning. The threats were against East Tech High School and Buhrer Dual Language Academy.

According to CMSD, Cleveland police and CMSD’s Department of Safety & Security conducted an investigation and found the buildings to be safe.

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From the information gathered during the searches, Cleveland police believe both calls were swatting incidents.

Classes at both schools were uninterrupted, and the school day progressed normally.

Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Communications Officer Jon Benedict added that parents were informed about the incident.

Buhrer Dual Language Academy (Google Maps)
Buhrer Dual Language Academy (Google Maps)(WOIO)

LORAIN CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Lorain City School District confirmed the high school has been evacuated due to a bomb threat on Thursday afternoon.

This is the third Northeast Ohio school district to receive a bomb threat on May 7.

The district announced the evacuation of Lorain High School at 12:23 p.m., and dismissed students at 12:40 p.m.

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Bus riders were escorted to the buses waiting to take them home, according to LCSD.

LCSD said many elementary and middle school students were at the high school for the dance showcase.

Those elementary and middle school students were brought back to their home schools, said LCSD.

All students and staff are safe and following established protocols, LCSD stated, and these measures are being taken out of an abundance of caution.

The district safety team and law enforcement partners continue to investigate this threat.

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“Your students’ and our staff’s safety is our top priority,” LCSD stated.

A 19 News crew is on their way to the scene to learn more.

(John Baligush | WOIO)

SHAKER HEIGHTS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Shaker Heights High School received its second threatening phone call this week on Thursday, the district confirmed.

Shaker Heights School District said it immediately teamed up with the Shaker Heights Police Department to investigate the threat and determined its credibility.

SHSD said it was aware of the other Northeast Ohio school districts that received similar threats on Thursday.

“Based on the SHPD’s assessment and established safety protocols, the decision was made to continue normal school operations rather than initiate a shelter-in-place,” SHSD stated.

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Additional SHPD officers and a K-9 unit were sent to the school out of an abundance of caution to support the safety and security of the building as the investigation continues, SHSD added.

(Source: 19 News)

Orrville City Schools were also placed on a soft lockdown on Thursday.

However, this was not a bomb threat, nor any direct threat to the school.

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The soft lockdown was a precautionary measure for an incident that happened not just off school property, but out of the town.

This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.

Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.



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Cleveland, OH

Pistons vs. Cavs odds update: Cleveland on the brink ahead of Game 3

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Pistons vs. Cavs odds update: Cleveland on the brink ahead of Game 3


The Cavaliers face elimination after two losses to Detroit, with Game 3 pivotal as both teams’ stars drive the matchup. Explore this preview with the latest odds, plus BetMGM same game parlays, with an expert prediction, projected final score, and best bet.



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Cleveland, OH

Noble Beast bringing cask ale concept to former Bookhouse Brewing pub

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Noble Beast bringing cask ale concept to former Bookhouse Brewing pub


The defunct Bookhouse Brewing pub in Ohio City will see new life once again as a neighborhood taproom with a refreshed identity built around sought-after Belgian beers and English cask ales — offerings that will position it as a unique addition to Cleveland’s craft beer landscape.



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